FN 5.7×28mm
Encyclopedia
The FN 5.7×28mm is a small-caliber
, high-velocity
cartridge
designed and manufactured by FN Herstal in Belgium
. It is a bottlenecked centerfire
cartridge that is somewhat similar to the .22 Hornet
or .22 K-Hornet. The 5.7×28mm was developed in conjunction with the FN P90
personal defense weapon
(PDW) and FN Five-seven pistol, in response to NATO requests for a replacement for the 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge.
In 2002 and 2003, NATO conducted a series of tests with the intention of standardizing a PDW cartridge as a replacement for the 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge. The tests compared the relative merits of the 5.7×28mm cartridge and the 4.6×30mm cartridge, which was created by Heckler & Koch
as a competitor to the 5.7×28mm. The NATO group subsequently recommended the 5.7×28mm cartridge, citing superior performance in testing, but the German delegation objected and the standardization process was indefinitely halted.
By 2006, FN's 5.7×28mm firearms—the P90
personal defense weapon and Five-seven
pistol—were in service with military and police forces in over 40 countries throughout the world. In the United States
, 5.7×28mm firearms are currently used by numerous law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Secret Service.
In addition to being used in the FN P90
and FN Five-seven firearms, the 5.7×28mm cartridge has subsequently been used in the AR-57
and FN PS90 carbines. Excel Arms is currently developing four firearms chambered in 5.7×28mm, and Savage Arms
is developing two bolt action rifles chambered in 5.7×28mm. The 5.7×28mm cartridge itself is offered in a number of varieties, two of which—the SS195LF and SS197SR—are currently offered to civilian shooters for use in 5.7×28mm firearms.
than the 9×19mm cartridge. Additionally, it was to be capable of penetrating body armor. FN Herstal responded to the NATO requirement by developing the 5.7×28mm cartridge and two associated weapons: the FN P90
personal defense weapon
(PDW) and FN Five-seven pistol.
The original 5.7×28mm cartridge, called the SS90, was introduced in 1990. It used a 1.5 g
(23 grain) plastic-core projectile
, which it propelled at a muzzle velocity
of roughly 850 m/s (2,800 ft/s) when fired from the P90. A United States patent application
for the projectile design used in the SS90 was filed by FN's Jean-Paul Denis and Marc Neuforge in 1989. U.S. Patent 5,012,743 ("High-Performance Projectile") was received in 1991.
The 5.7×28mm SS90 cartridge was discontinued, and replaced in 1993 with the 5.7×28mm SS190. The SS190 uses a 2.7-mm (0.11 in) shorter projectile with a weight of 2.0 g (31 grains), which it fires from the P90 at a muzzle velocity
of roughly 715 m/s (2,350 ft/s). The shorter length of the SS190 projectile allowed it to be more conveniently used in the 5.7×28mm FN Five-seven pistol, which was also being developed at that time.
In 1993, FN introduced a modified version of the P90 with a magazine adapted to use the SS190 cartridge. Several specialized 5.7×28mm varieties were also developed alongside the SS190, such as the L191 tracer
round and the subsonic
SB193 bullet for sound-suppressed use. The 5.7×28mm FN Five-seven pistol then went into production in 1998.
cartridge, which was created by German
small arms
manufacturer Heckler & Koch
as a competitor to the 5.7×28mm. The results of the NATO tests were analyzed by a group formed of experts from Canada
, France
, the United Kingdom
, and the United States
, and the group's conclusion was that the 5.7×28mm was "undoubtedly" the more efficient cartridge.
Among other points, the NATO group cited superior effectiveness (27 percent greater) for the 5.7×28mm against unprotected targets and equal effectiveness against protected targets. It also cited less sensitivity to extreme temperatures for the 5.7×28mm, and cited a greater potential risk of barrel erosion with the 4.6×30mm. In addition, the group pointed out that 5.7×28mm is close to the 5.56×45mm NATO by its design and manufacture process, allowing it to be manufactured on existing production lines. The group also pointed out that 5.7×28mm firearms are more mature than 4.6×30mm firearms, and that the 5.7×28mm FN Five-seven pistol was already in production at that time, while the 4.6×30mm Heckler & Koch UCP
pistol was only an early concept.
However, the German delegation and others rejected the NATO recommendation that 5.7×28mm be standardized, halting the standardization process indefinitely. As a result, both the 4.6×30mm and 5.7×28mm cartridges (and the associated weapons) have been independently adopted by various NATO countries, according to preference; both the P90
and Five-seven
are currently in service with military and police forces in over 40 countries throughout the world.
pistol. After being met with controversy, the SS192 variety was discontinued in the same year, and in 2005 the SS196SR variety was introduced using a 2.6 g (40 grain) Hornady
V-Max projectile. The SS196 was also shortly discontinued in favor of the newer SS195LF and SS197SR varieties, which are currently offered to civilian shooters for use in 5.7×28mm firearms, and the SS198LF variety, which is currently offered but restricted by FN to military and law enforcement customers.
FN's 5.7×28mm ammunition types were briefly manufactured by Olin-Winchester
, but today, they are made only by FN Herstal in Belgium and, since 2006, Fiocchi in the United States. In 2009, the National Rifle Association
added 5.7×28mm firearms to its NRA Tactical Police Competition standards, allowing law enforcement agencies to compete in this event using 5.7×28mm firearms.
personal defense weapon and FN Five-seven pistol. Subsequently, it has been used in the FN PS90 carbine and the AR-57
, an upper receiver
for M16
/AR-15
rifles. The ST Kinetics CPW can also be configured for the 5.7×28mm cartridge, by changing the barrel and magazine groups. Excel Arms is currently developing four firearms chambered in 5.7×28mm, and Savage Arms
is developing two bolt action rifles chambered in 5.7×28mm.
The 5.7×28mm cartridge weighs 6.0 g
(93 grains)—roughly half as much as a typical 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge—making extra ammunition less burdensome, or allowing more ammunition to be carried for the same weight. Since the 5.7×28mm cartridge also has a relatively small diameter, an unusually high number of cartridges can be contained in a magazine. The cartridge has a loud report and produces considerable muzzle flash (when fired from a pistol), but it has roughly 30 percent less recoil
than the 9×19mm cartridge, improving controllability. Due to its high velocity
, the 5.7×28mm also exhibits an exceptionally flat trajectory
.
One of the design intents of the SS190 variety of this cartridge was that it have the ability to penetrate Kevlar
protective vests—such as the NATO CRISAT
vest—that will stop conventional pistol bullets. Fired from the P90, the SS190 is capable of penetrating the CRISAT vest at a range of 200 m (219 yd), or a Level IIIA Kevlar vest at the same range. However, sporting variants of the 5.7×28mm are classified by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
(ATF) as not armor-piercing.
According to FN, the 5.7×28mm cartridge has an effective range of 200 m (219 yd) and a maximum range of 1,800 m (1,969 yd) when fired from the P90, and an effective range of 50 m (55 yd) and a maximum range of 1,510 m (1,651 yd) when fired from the Five-seven. In testing, the SS190 and similar 5.7×28mm projectile
s consistently turn base over point ("tumble") as they pass through ballistic gelatin
and other media, using the 21.6-mm (.85 in) projectile length to create a larger wound cavity. However, some are skeptical of the bullet's terminal performance
, and it is a subject of debate among civilian shooters in the United States.
The 5.7×28mm projectile potentially poses less risk of collateral damage
than conventional pistol bullets, because the projectile design limits overpenetration, as well as risk of ricochet
. The lightweight projectile also poses less risk of collateral damage in the event of a miss, because it loses much of its kinetic energy
after traveling only 400 m (437 yd), whereas a conventional pistol bullet such as the 9×19mm retains significant energy beyond 800 m (875 yd). This range exceeds the engagement distances expected for the 5.7×28mm cartridge's intended applications, so the cartridge's limited energy at long range is not conversely considered to be disadvantageous.
Since the 5.7×28mm SS190 projectile does not rely on fragmentation or the expansion of a hollow-point bullet, the cartridge (and 5.7×28mm firearms) are considered suitable for military use under the Hague Convention of 1899, which prohibits the use of expanding bullets in warfare.
FN's 5.7×28mm cartridge cases are covered with a special polymer
coating for easier extraction with the PS90 carbine due to the high chamber pressures and lack of case tapering. In addition, this coating ensures proper feeding and function in the magazines.
The 5.7×28mm has a cartridge case capacity of 0.90 ml
(13.85 grains
) H2O.
Americans would define the shoulder angle at alpha/2 ≈ 35 degrees. The common rifling
twist rate for this cartridge is 1:228.6 mm (1:9 in), 8 grooves, Ø lands = 5.53 mm, Ø grooves = 5.62 mm, land width = 1.63 mm and the recommended primer type
is small rifle.
According to the official Commission Internationale Permanente pour l'Epreuve des Armes à Feu Portatives
(CIP) guidelines the 5.7×28mm case can handle up to 345 MPa
(50,037 psi
) piezo pressure. In CIP-regulated countries every rifle cartridge combo has to be proofed at 125% of this maximum CIP pressure to certify for sale to consumers.
SS190 duty
L191 tracer
SS192 hollow-point
SB193 subsonic
T194 training
SS195LF (lead free)
SS196SR (sporting round)
SS197SR (sporting round)
SS198LF (lead free)
Non-FN ammunition
Fired from the longer 40.74-cm (16.04 in) barrel of the PS90, the muzzle velocity of SS195LF is roughly 60-m/s (200 ft/s) faster, and the muzzle velocity of SS197SR is roughly 45-m/s (150 ft/s) faster. Fired from the shorter 12.2-cm (4.8 in) barrel of the Five-seven pistol, the muzzle velocity of SS195LF is roughly 90-m/s (300 ft/s) slower, and the muzzle velocity of SS197SR is roughly 60-m/s (200 ft/s) slower.
pistol and 5.7×28mm ammunition were originally restricted by FN to military and law enforcement customers, but in 2004 the new Five-seven IOM variant was introduced, and offered to civilian shooters for use with SS192 ammunition. FNH USA has marketed the Five-seven to civilian shooters as a pistol suitable for personal protection
, target shooting, and similar uses, but the Five-seven's introduction to civilian shooters was strongly opposed by U.S. gun control
organizations such as the Brady Campaign
; by the end of 2004, sales of the Five-seven pistol had increased dramatically.
In early 2005, the pistol was subject to intense controversy in the United States after the Brady Campaign stated that commercially available SS192 ammunition penetrated a Level IIA Kevlar vest in testing. The National Rifle Association
(NRA) shortly countered the Brady Campaign's claim by pointing out that the gun control group may not have adhered to standard testing procedures, and that FN only offers armor-piercing varieties of the 5.7×28mm cartridge to military and law enforcement customers. Varieties offered to civilians are classified by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
(ATF) as not armor-piercing, and it was stated that the SS192 and SS196 cartridge variations were unable to penetrate various types of Kevlar vests in tests conducted by FNH USA.
Michael D. Barnes
, then-president of the Brady Campaign, responded to the NRA's statements on the Five-seven by challenging NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre
to be shot with the pistol while wearing a Kevlar vest. The NRA again attacked the Brady Campaign's statements, saying that "Barnes demonstrated his group's complete and utter disregard for gun safety and its flaming zeal to further restrict the rights of law-abiding gun owners." In the same year, two pieces of legislation were introduced in the United States Congress
, specifically targeting the Five-seven pistol and 5.7×28mm ammunition for a federal ban: the H.R. 1136: PLEA Act was introduced in the House of Representatives
by Rep. Eliot Engel, and the S. 527: PLEA Act was introduced in the Senate
by Sen. Frank Lautenberg
; neither bill proceeded to a vote by the House or Senate.
In March 2007, legislation was again introduced in the United States Congress
by Rep. Engel, under the new designation H.R. 1784: PLEA Act. Once again, the bill failed to proceed to a vote. In the following years, the Five-seven was subject to further controversy due to reports of the pistol's use by drug cartel
s in the Mexican Drug War
. In the United States, the Five-seven has never been used to kill a police officer, but various news sources such as The Boston Globe
and La Jornada
reported incidents in which the pistol was used to shoot and kill police officers or civilians in Mexico. According to the ATF
, the Five-seven is one of the weapons favored by drug cartels in the Mexican Drug War, and smuggled Five-seven pistols can sell for up to $5,000 in Mexico
. From Mexico, the pistols have been smuggled into other South America
n countries; in a July 2010 drive-by shooting
in Envigado
, Colombia
, two cartel gunmen armed with Five-seven pistols opened fire on a group of bystanders outside a nightclub
, leaving 9 people dead and 10 wounded.
In November 2009, the Five-seven again became subject to intense controversy in the United States, following the Fort Hood shooting
at Fort Hood military base
, in Texas
. A U.S. Army psychiatrist, Major Nidal Malik Hasan
, reportedly opened fire on fellow soldiers with a Five-seven pistol, killing 13 and wounding 29 in the worst shooting ever to take place on an American military base. Shortly after the shooting, FNH USA responded with a fact sheet dismissing allegations about the nature of the pistol, pointing out that it is only offered to civilians with sporting ammunition. Later in the month, a number of gun control organizations such as the Brady Campaign wrote a collaborative letter to U.S. President Barack Obama
, citing the weapon's reported use by the Fort Hood shooter and Mexican drug cartels, and calling on him to ban importation of the Five-seven pistol and 5.7×28mm ammunition. In July 2010, legislation was introduced in the United States Congress by Rep. Engel, for a third time, under the new designation H.R. 6030: PLEA Act. Like its previous incarnations, the H.R. 6030 bill failed to proceed to a vote by either the House of Representatives
or Senate
.
Cartridges
Firearms
Video
Caliber
In guns including firearms, caliber or calibre is the approximate internal diameter of the barrel in relation to the diameter of the projectile used in it....
, high-velocity
Muzzle velocity
Muzzle velocity is the speed a projectile has at the moment it leaves the muzzle of the gun. Muzzle velocities range from approximately to in black powder muskets , to more than in modern rifles with high-performance cartridges such as the .220 Swift and .204 Ruger, all the way to for tank guns...
cartridge
Cartridge (firearms)
A cartridge, also called a round, packages the bullet, gunpowder and primer into a single metallic case precisely made to fit the firing chamber of a firearm. The primer is a small charge of impact-sensitive chemical that may be located at the center of the case head or at its rim . Electrically...
designed and manufactured by FN Herstal in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. It is a bottlenecked centerfire
Centerfire ammunition
A centerfire cartridge is a cartridge with a primer located in the center of the cartridge case head. Unlike rimfire cartridges, the primer is a separate and replaceable component....
cartridge that is somewhat similar to the .22 Hornet
.22 Hornet
The .22 Hornet is a low-end vermin, small-game and predator centerfire rifle cartridge. It is considerably more powerful than the .22 WMR and the .17 HMR, achieving higher velocity with a bullet twice the weight. The Hornet also differs very significantly from these in that it is not a rimfire...
or .22 K-Hornet. The 5.7×28mm was developed in conjunction with the FN P90
FN P90
The FN P90 is a selective fire personal defense weapon designed and manufactured by FN Herstal in Belgium. The P90's name is taken from 1990, the year it was introduced...
personal defense weapon
Personal defense weapon
A personal defense weapon is a compact semi-automatic or fully automatic firearm similar in most respects to a submachine gun, but firing an armor-piercing rifle round, giving a PDW better range, accuracy and armor-penetrating capability than submachine guns, which fire pistol-caliber cartridges...
(PDW) and FN Five-seven pistol, in response to NATO requests for a replacement for the 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge.
In 2002 and 2003, NATO conducted a series of tests with the intention of standardizing a PDW cartridge as a replacement for the 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge. The tests compared the relative merits of the 5.7×28mm cartridge and the 4.6×30mm cartridge, which was created by Heckler & Koch
Heckler & Koch
Heckler & Koch GmbH is a German defense manufacturing company that produces various small arms. Some of their products include the SA80, MP5 submachine gun, G3 automatic rifle, the G36 assault rifle, the HK 416, the MP7 personal defense weapon, the USP series of handguns, and the high-precision...
as a competitor to the 5.7×28mm. The NATO group subsequently recommended the 5.7×28mm cartridge, citing superior performance in testing, but the German delegation objected and the standardization process was indefinitely halted.
By 2006, FN's 5.7×28mm firearms—the P90
FN P90
The FN P90 is a selective fire personal defense weapon designed and manufactured by FN Herstal in Belgium. The P90's name is taken from 1990, the year it was introduced...
personal defense weapon and Five-seven
Five-seveN
The FN Five-seven, trademarked as the Five-seveN, is a semi-automatic pistol designed and manufactured by FN Herstal in Belgium. The pistol is named for its 5.7-mm bullet diameter, and the trademark capitalization style is intended to emphasize the manufacturer's initials—FN.The Five-seven pistol...
pistol—were in service with military and police forces in over 40 countries throughout the world. In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, 5.7×28mm firearms are currently used by numerous law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Secret Service.
In addition to being used in the FN P90
FN P90
The FN P90 is a selective fire personal defense weapon designed and manufactured by FN Herstal in Belgium. The P90's name is taken from 1990, the year it was introduced...
and FN Five-seven firearms, the 5.7×28mm cartridge has subsequently been used in the AR-57
AR-57
The AR-57, also known as the AR Five-seven, is an upper receiver for the AR-15/M16 rifle lower receiver, firing 5.7x28mm rounds from standard FN P90 magazines. It was designed by Rhineland Arms, Inc and is currently produced by AeroPrecision, Inc of Tacoma, Washington, USA...
and FN PS90 carbines. Excel Arms is currently developing four firearms chambered in 5.7×28mm, and Savage Arms
Savage Arms
The Savage Arms Company is a firearms manufacturing company based in Westfield, Massachusetts, with a division located in Canada. The company makes a variety of rimfire and centerfire rifles, as well as marketing the Stevens single-shot rifles and shotguns...
is developing two bolt action rifles chambered in 5.7×28mm. The 5.7×28mm cartridge itself is offered in a number of varieties, two of which—the SS195LF and SS197SR—are currently offered to civilian shooters for use in 5.7×28mm firearms.
Development
The 5.7×28mm cartridge was designed in response to NATO requests for a replacement for the 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge. According to the NATO requirement, the new cartridge was to have greater range, accuracy, and terminal performanceBallistic trauma
The term ballistic trauma refers to a form of physical trauma sustained from the discharge of arms or munitions. The most common forms of ballistic trauma stem from firearms used in armed conflicts, civilian sporting and recreational pursuits, and criminal activity.-Destructive effects:The degree...
than the 9×19mm cartridge. Additionally, it was to be capable of penetrating body armor. FN Herstal responded to the NATO requirement by developing the 5.7×28mm cartridge and two associated weapons: the FN P90
FN P90
The FN P90 is a selective fire personal defense weapon designed and manufactured by FN Herstal in Belgium. The P90's name is taken from 1990, the year it was introduced...
personal defense weapon
Personal defense weapon
A personal defense weapon is a compact semi-automatic or fully automatic firearm similar in most respects to a submachine gun, but firing an armor-piercing rifle round, giving a PDW better range, accuracy and armor-penetrating capability than submachine guns, which fire pistol-caliber cartridges...
(PDW) and FN Five-seven pistol.
The original 5.7×28mm cartridge, called the SS90, was introduced in 1990. It used a 1.5 g
Gram
The gram is a metric system unit of mass....
(23 grain) plastic-core projectile
Projectile
A projectile is any object projected into space by the exertion of a force. Although a thrown baseball is technically a projectile too, the term more commonly refers to a weapon....
, which it propelled at a muzzle velocity
Muzzle velocity
Muzzle velocity is the speed a projectile has at the moment it leaves the muzzle of the gun. Muzzle velocities range from approximately to in black powder muskets , to more than in modern rifles with high-performance cartridges such as the .220 Swift and .204 Ruger, all the way to for tank guns...
of roughly 850 m/s (2,800 ft/s) when fired from the P90. A United States patent application
Patent application
A patent application is a request pending at a patent office for the grant of a patent for the invention described and claimed by that application. An application consists of a description of the invention , together with official forms and correspondence relating to the application...
for the projectile design used in the SS90 was filed by FN's Jean-Paul Denis and Marc Neuforge in 1989. U.S. Patent 5,012,743 ("High-Performance Projectile") was received in 1991.
The 5.7×28mm SS90 cartridge was discontinued, and replaced in 1993 with the 5.7×28mm SS190. The SS190 uses a 2.7-mm (0.11 in) shorter projectile with a weight of 2.0 g (31 grains), which it fires from the P90 at a muzzle velocity
Muzzle velocity
Muzzle velocity is the speed a projectile has at the moment it leaves the muzzle of the gun. Muzzle velocities range from approximately to in black powder muskets , to more than in modern rifles with high-performance cartridges such as the .220 Swift and .204 Ruger, all the way to for tank guns...
of roughly 715 m/s (2,350 ft/s). The shorter length of the SS190 projectile allowed it to be more conveniently used in the 5.7×28mm FN Five-seven pistol, which was also being developed at that time.
In 1993, FN introduced a modified version of the P90 with a magazine adapted to use the SS190 cartridge. Several specialized 5.7×28mm varieties were also developed alongside the SS190, such as the L191 tracer
Tracer ammunition
Tracer ammunition are bullets that are built with a small pyrotechnic charge in their base. Ignited by the burning powder, the phosphorus tail burns very brightly, making the projectile visible to the naked eye...
round and the subsonic
Speed of sound
The speed of sound is the distance travelled during a unit of time by a sound wave propagating through an elastic medium. In dry air at , the speed of sound is . This is , or about one kilometer in three seconds or approximately one mile in five seconds....
SB193 bullet for sound-suppressed use. The 5.7×28mm FN Five-seven pistol then went into production in 1998.
NATO evaluation
In 2002 and 2003, NATO conducted a series of tests with the intention of standardizing a PDW cartridge as a replacement for the 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge. The tests compared the relative merits of the 5.7×28mm cartridge and the HK 4.6×30mmHK 4.6×30mm
The HK 4.6×30mm cartridge is a type of ammunition used in the Heckler & Koch MP7 Personal Defense Weapon and by the HK UCP pistol. It is designed to minimize weight and recoil while increasing penetration of body armor. It features a bottlenecked case and a pointed, steel-core, brass-jacketed...
cartridge, which was created by German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
small arms
Small arms
Small arms is a term of art used by armed forces to denote infantry weapons an individual soldier may carry. The description is usually limited to revolvers, pistols, submachine guns, carbines, assault rifles, battle rifles, multiple barrel firearms, sniper rifles, squad automatic weapons, light...
manufacturer Heckler & Koch
Heckler & Koch
Heckler & Koch GmbH is a German defense manufacturing company that produces various small arms. Some of their products include the SA80, MP5 submachine gun, G3 automatic rifle, the G36 assault rifle, the HK 416, the MP7 personal defense weapon, the USP series of handguns, and the high-precision...
as a competitor to the 5.7×28mm. The results of the NATO tests were analyzed by a group formed of experts from Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and the group's conclusion was that the 5.7×28mm was "undoubtedly" the more efficient cartridge.
Among other points, the NATO group cited superior effectiveness (27 percent greater) for the 5.7×28mm against unprotected targets and equal effectiveness against protected targets. It also cited less sensitivity to extreme temperatures for the 5.7×28mm, and cited a greater potential risk of barrel erosion with the 4.6×30mm. In addition, the group pointed out that 5.7×28mm is close to the 5.56×45mm NATO by its design and manufacture process, allowing it to be manufactured on existing production lines. The group also pointed out that 5.7×28mm firearms are more mature than 4.6×30mm firearms, and that the 5.7×28mm FN Five-seven pistol was already in production at that time, while the 4.6×30mm Heckler & Koch UCP
Heckler & Koch UCP
The Heckler & Koch Universal Combat Pistol , a double action, semi-automatic handgun also known as the HK P46, was developed under commission for the German Bundeswehr....
pistol was only an early concept.
However, the German delegation and others rejected the NATO recommendation that 5.7×28mm be standardized, halting the standardization process indefinitely. As a result, both the 4.6×30mm and 5.7×28mm cartridges (and the associated weapons) have been independently adopted by various NATO countries, according to preference; both the P90
FN P90
The FN P90 is a selective fire personal defense weapon designed and manufactured by FN Herstal in Belgium. The P90's name is taken from 1990, the year it was introduced...
and Five-seven
Five-seveN
The FN Five-seven, trademarked as the Five-seveN, is a semi-automatic pistol designed and manufactured by FN Herstal in Belgium. The pistol is named for its 5.7-mm bullet diameter, and the trademark capitalization style is intended to emphasize the manufacturer's initials—FN.The Five-seven pistol...
are currently in service with military and police forces in over 40 countries throughout the world.
Present
In 2004, the SS192 hollow-point cartridge was introduced to civilian shooters alongside the new IOM variant of the Five-sevenFive-seveN
The FN Five-seven, trademarked as the Five-seveN, is a semi-automatic pistol designed and manufactured by FN Herstal in Belgium. The pistol is named for its 5.7-mm bullet diameter, and the trademark capitalization style is intended to emphasize the manufacturer's initials—FN.The Five-seven pistol...
pistol. After being met with controversy, the SS192 variety was discontinued in the same year, and in 2005 the SS196SR variety was introduced using a 2.6 g (40 grain) Hornady
Hornady
Hornady Manufacturing Company is an American manufacturer of ammunition and handloading components, based in Grand Island, Nebraska.The company was founded by Joyce Hornady in 1949 and is currently run by his son Steve Hornady who took over after his father's death in a plane crash in 1981.Hornady...
V-Max projectile. The SS196 was also shortly discontinued in favor of the newer SS195LF and SS197SR varieties, which are currently offered to civilian shooters for use in 5.7×28mm firearms, and the SS198LF variety, which is currently offered but restricted by FN to military and law enforcement customers.
FN's 5.7×28mm ammunition types were briefly manufactured by Olin-Winchester
Winchester Repeating Arms Company
The Winchester Repeating Arms Company was a prominent American maker of repeating firearms, located in New Haven, Connecticut. The Winchester brand is today used under license by two subsidiaries of the Herstal Group, Fabrique Nationale of Belgium and the Browning Arms Company of Morgan, Utah.-...
, but today, they are made only by FN Herstal in Belgium and, since 2006, Fiocchi in the United States. In 2009, the National Rifle Association
National Rifle Association
The National Rifle Association of America is an American non-profit 501 civil rights organization which advocates for the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection...
added 5.7×28mm firearms to its NRA Tactical Police Competition standards, allowing law enforcement agencies to compete in this event using 5.7×28mm firearms.
Design details
The 5.7×28mm cartridge was designed by FN Herstal specifically for use in the FN P90FN P90
The FN P90 is a selective fire personal defense weapon designed and manufactured by FN Herstal in Belgium. The P90's name is taken from 1990, the year it was introduced...
personal defense weapon and FN Five-seven pistol. Subsequently, it has been used in the FN PS90 carbine and the AR-57
AR-57
The AR-57, also known as the AR Five-seven, is an upper receiver for the AR-15/M16 rifle lower receiver, firing 5.7x28mm rounds from standard FN P90 magazines. It was designed by Rhineland Arms, Inc and is currently produced by AeroPrecision, Inc of Tacoma, Washington, USA...
, an upper receiver
Receiver (firearms)
In firearms terminology, the receiver is the part of a firearm that houses the operating parts. The receiver usually contains the bolt carrier group, trigger group, and magazine port. In most handguns, the receiver, or frame, holds the magazine well or rotary magazine as well as the trigger mechanism...
for M16
M16 rifle
The M16 is the United States military designation for the AR-15 rifle adapted for both semi-automatic and full-automatic fire. Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 from ArmaLite, and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle. The M16 fires the 5.56×45mm NATO...
/AR-15
AR-15
The AR-15 is a lightweight, 5.56 mm, air-cooled, gas-operated, magazine-fed semi-automatic rifle, with a rotating-lock bolt, actuated by direct impingement gas operation. It is manufactured with the extensive use of aluminum alloys and synthetic materials....
rifles. The ST Kinetics CPW can also be configured for the 5.7×28mm cartridge, by changing the barrel and magazine groups. Excel Arms is currently developing four firearms chambered in 5.7×28mm, and Savage Arms
Savage Arms
The Savage Arms Company is a firearms manufacturing company based in Westfield, Massachusetts, with a division located in Canada. The company makes a variety of rimfire and centerfire rifles, as well as marketing the Stevens single-shot rifles and shotguns...
is developing two bolt action rifles chambered in 5.7×28mm.
The 5.7×28mm cartridge weighs 6.0 g
Gram
The gram is a metric system unit of mass....
(93 grains)—roughly half as much as a typical 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge—making extra ammunition less burdensome, or allowing more ammunition to be carried for the same weight. Since the 5.7×28mm cartridge also has a relatively small diameter, an unusually high number of cartridges can be contained in a magazine. The cartridge has a loud report and produces considerable muzzle flash (when fired from a pistol), but it has roughly 30 percent less recoil
Recoil
Recoil is the backward momentum of a gun when it is discharged. In technical terms, the recoil caused by the gun exactly balances the forward momentum of the projectile and exhaust gasses, according to Newton's third law...
than the 9×19mm cartridge, improving controllability. Due to its high velocity
Muzzle velocity
Muzzle velocity is the speed a projectile has at the moment it leaves the muzzle of the gun. Muzzle velocities range from approximately to in black powder muskets , to more than in modern rifles with high-performance cartridges such as the .220 Swift and .204 Ruger, all the way to for tank guns...
, the 5.7×28mm also exhibits an exceptionally flat trajectory
Trajectory
A trajectory is the path that a moving object follows through space as a function of time. The object might be a projectile or a satellite, for example. It thus includes the meaning of orbit—the path of a planet, an asteroid or a comet as it travels around a central mass...
.
One of the design intents of the SS190 variety of this cartridge was that it have the ability to penetrate Kevlar
Kevlar
Kevlar is the registered trademark for a para-aramid synthetic fiber, related to other aramids such as Nomex and Technora. Developed at DuPont in 1965, this high strength material was first commercially used in the early 1970s as a replacement for steel in racing tires...
protective vests—such as the NATO CRISAT
CRISAT
CRISAT, short for Collaborative Research Into Small Arms Technology, is an EU-NATO standard in the manufacture of military equipment. The CRISAT target is defined as a 1.6mm titanium plate supplemented by 20 layers of Kevlar. This target is intended to replicate the personal protection used by...
vest—that will stop conventional pistol bullets. Fired from the P90, the SS190 is capable of penetrating the CRISAT vest at a range of 200 m (219 yd), or a Level IIIA Kevlar vest at the same range. However, sporting variants of the 5.7×28mm are classified by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is a federal law enforcement organization within the United States Department of Justice...
(ATF) as not armor-piercing.
Projectile
A projectile is any object projected into space by the exertion of a force. Although a thrown baseball is technically a projectile too, the term more commonly refers to a weapon....
s consistently turn base over point ("tumble") as they pass through ballistic gelatin
Ballistic gelatin
Ballistic Gelatin is a testing medium scientifically correlated to swine muscle tissue , in which the effects of bullet wounds can be simulated. It was developed and improved by Martin Fackler and others in the field of wound ballistics. Ballistic gelatin is a solution of gelatin powder in water...
and other media, using the 21.6-mm (.85 in) projectile length to create a larger wound cavity. However, some are skeptical of the bullet's terminal performance
Ballistic trauma
The term ballistic trauma refers to a form of physical trauma sustained from the discharge of arms or munitions. The most common forms of ballistic trauma stem from firearms used in armed conflicts, civilian sporting and recreational pursuits, and criminal activity.-Destructive effects:The degree...
, and it is a subject of debate among civilian shooters in the United States.
The 5.7×28mm projectile potentially poses less risk of collateral damage
Collateral damage
Collateral damage is damage to people or property that is unintended or incidental to the intended outcome. The phrase is prevalently used as an euphemism for civilian casualties of a military action.-Etymology:...
than conventional pistol bullets, because the projectile design limits overpenetration, as well as risk of ricochet
Ricochet
A ricochet is a rebound, bounce or skip off a surface, particularly in the case of a projectile. The possibility of ricochet is one of the reasons for the common firearms safety rule "Never shoot at a flat, hard surface."-Variables:...
. The lightweight projectile also poses less risk of collateral damage in the event of a miss, because it loses much of its kinetic energy
Kinetic energy
The kinetic energy of an object is the energy which it possesses due to its motion.It is defined as the work needed to accelerate a body of a given mass from rest to its stated velocity. Having gained this energy during its acceleration, the body maintains this kinetic energy unless its speed changes...
after traveling only 400 m (437 yd), whereas a conventional pistol bullet such as the 9×19mm retains significant energy beyond 800 m (875 yd). This range exceeds the engagement distances expected for the 5.7×28mm cartridge's intended applications, so the cartridge's limited energy at long range is not conversely considered to be disadvantageous.
Since the 5.7×28mm SS190 projectile does not rely on fragmentation or the expansion of a hollow-point bullet, the cartridge (and 5.7×28mm firearms) are considered suitable for military use under the Hague Convention of 1899, which prohibits the use of expanding bullets in warfare.
FN's 5.7×28mm cartridge cases are covered with a special polymer
Polymer
A polymer is a large molecule composed of repeating structural units. These subunits are typically connected by covalent chemical bonds...
coating for easier extraction with the PS90 carbine due to the high chamber pressures and lack of case tapering. In addition, this coating ensures proper feeding and function in the magazines.
Cartridge dimensions
5.7×28mm maximum CIP cartridge dimensions. All sizes in millimeters (mm).The 5.7×28mm has a cartridge case capacity of 0.90 ml
Litre
pic|200px|right|thumb|One litre is equivalent to this cubeEach side is 10 cm1 litre water = 1 kilogram water The litre is a metric system unit of volume equal to 1 cubic decimetre , to 1,000 cubic centimetres , and to 1/1,000 cubic metre...
(13.85 grains
Grain (measure)
A grain is a unit of measurement of mass that is nominally based upon the mass of a single seed of a cereal. From the Bronze Age into the Renaissance the average masses of wheat and barley grains were part of the legal definition of units of mass. However, there is no evidence of any country ever...
) H2O.
Americans would define the shoulder angle at alpha/2 ≈ 35 degrees. The common rifling
Rifling
Rifling is the process of making helical grooves in the barrel of a gun or firearm, which imparts a spin to a projectile around its long axis...
twist rate for this cartridge is 1:228.6 mm (1:9 in), 8 grooves, Ø lands = 5.53 mm, Ø grooves = 5.62 mm, land width = 1.63 mm and the recommended primer type
Percussion cap
The percussion cap, introduced around 1830, was the crucial invention that enabled muzzleloading firearms to fire reliably in any weather.Before this development, firearms used flintlock ignition systems which produced flint-on-steel sparks to ignite a pan of priming powder and thereby fire the...
is small rifle.
According to the official Commission Internationale Permanente pour l'Epreuve des Armes à Feu Portatives
Commission Internationale Permanente pour l'Epreuve des Armes à Feu Portatives
The Commission Internationale Permanente pour l'Epreuve des Armes à Feu Portatives is an international organisation whose members are 14 states, mainly European....
(CIP) guidelines the 5.7×28mm case can handle up to 345 MPa
MPA
-Academic degrees:* Master of Professional Accountancy* Master of Public Administration* Master of Public Affairs* Master of Physician's Assistant-Chemicals:* Medroxyprogesterone acetate, also known by the brand name Depo-Provera* Morpholide of pelargonic acid...
(50,037 psi
Pounds per square inch
The pound per square inch or, more accurately, pound-force per square inch is a unit of pressure or of stress based on avoirdupois units...
) piezo pressure. In CIP-regulated countries every rifle cartridge combo has to be proofed at 125% of this maximum CIP pressure to certify for sale to consumers.
Varieties
SS90 prototype- The SS90 was an early prototype round used only in the earliest examples of the P90. It used a lightweight 1.5-gGramThe gram is a metric system unit of mass....
(23 grain) full metal jacket bulletFull metal jacket bulletA full metal jacket is a bullet consisting of a soft core encased in a shell of harder metal, such as gilding metal, cupronickel or less commonly a steel alloy. This shell can extend around all of the bullet, or often just the front and sides with the rear left as exposed lead...
with a polymerPolymerA polymer is a large molecule composed of repeating structural units. These subunits are typically connected by covalent chemical bonds...
core, which it propelled at a muzzle velocityMuzzle velocityMuzzle velocity is the speed a projectile has at the moment it leaves the muzzle of the gun. Muzzle velocities range from approximately to in black powder muskets , to more than in modern rifles with high-performance cartridges such as the .220 Swift and .204 Ruger, all the way to for tank guns...
of roughly 850 m/s (2,800 ft/s). The SS90 was abandoned in 1994 in favor of the heavier and 2.7-mm (0.11 in) shorter SS190 projectile.
SS190 duty
- The SS190 FMJFull metal jacket bulletA full metal jacket is a bullet consisting of a soft core encased in a shell of harder metal, such as gilding metal, cupronickel or less commonly a steel alloy. This shell can extend around all of the bullet, or often just the front and sides with the rear left as exposed lead...
, a refinement of the SS90, was introduced in 1993. It offered superior performance over the prototype projectileProjectileA projectile is any object projected into space by the exertion of a force. Although a thrown baseball is technically a projectile too, the term more commonly refers to a weapon....
as well as slightly reduced length. The latter change allowed it to be used more conveniently in the Five-seven pistol also being developed at that time. Fired from the P90, the SS190 propels a 2.0-g (31 grain) bullet at a muzzle velocityMuzzle velocityMuzzle velocity is the speed a projectile has at the moment it leaves the muzzle of the gun. Muzzle velocities range from approximately to in black powder muskets , to more than in modern rifles with high-performance cartridges such as the .220 Swift and .204 Ruger, all the way to for tank guns...
of roughly 715 m/s (2,350 ft/s). It has a steel penetrator and an aluminum core. The SS190 has been manufactured with a plain, black, or black-on-white tip color. It is classified by the ATF as armor-piercing (AP) ammunition, and its sale is currently restricted by FN to military and law enforcement customers.
- In testing done by Houston Police DepartmentHouston Police DepartmentThe Houston Police Department is the primary law enforcement agency serving the City of Houston, Texas, United States and some surrounding areas. Its headquarters are in 1200 Travis in Downtown Houston....
SWAT, the SS190 fired from the P90 into bare ballistic gelatin exhibited penetration depths ranging from 28 to 34 cm (11 to 13.5 in). In testing in 1999 by the Royal Canadian Mounted PoliceRoyal Canadian Mounted PoliceThe Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
(RCMP), the SS190 fired from the P90 at a distance of 25 m (27 yd) exhibited an average penetration depth of 25 cm (9.85 in) in ballistic gelatinBallistic gelatinBallistic Gelatin is a testing medium scientifically correlated to swine muscle tissue , in which the effects of bullet wounds can be simulated. It was developed and improved by Martin Fackler and others in the field of wound ballistics. Ballistic gelatin is a solution of gelatin powder in water...
after passing through a Level II kevlar vest.
- The L191 (also formerly called the SS191) is a tracerTracer ammunitionTracer ammunition are bullets that are built with a small pyrotechnic charge in their base. Ignited by the burning powder, the phosphorus tail burns very brightly, making the projectile visible to the naked eye...
cartridge designed for easier bullet spotting in dim light. Combustible chemicals packed in the rear of the L191 projectile create a light trail visible up to 200 m (219 yd). The L191 has been manufactured with a red or red-on-black tip. The performance and trajectory of the L191 is identical to the SS190. For this reason, it is also classified by the ATF as armor-piercing ammunition, and its sale is currently restricted by FN to military and law enforcement customers.
SS192 hollow-point
- The SS192 was discontinued in late 2004. It used a 1.8 g (28 grain) hollow point bulletHollow point bulletA hollow point is an expanding bullet that has a pit or hollowed out shape in its tip, generally intended to cause the bullet to thin upon entering a target in order to decrease penetration and disrupt more tissue as it travels through the target. It is also used for controlled penetration, where...
with a copper jacket and an aluminum core. The projectile had a length of 21.6 mm (.85 in). It had an unmarked hollow nose with a depth of 7.6 mm (0.3 in) and a 0.8-mm (0.03 in) opening. The SS192 was classified by the ATF as not armor-piercing, and in testing by FNH USA it did not penetrate a Level IIIA vest when fired from the Five-seven.
SB193 subsonic
- The SB193 (also formerly called the SS193) is a subsonicSpeed of soundThe speed of sound is the distance travelled during a unit of time by a sound wave propagating through an elastic medium. In dry air at , the speed of sound is . This is , or about one kilometer in three seconds or approximately one mile in five seconds....
cartridge featuring a 3.6-g (55 grain) Sierra Game King FMJBT (Full Metal Jacket Boat Tail) projectile. The SB193's low muzzle velocity eliminates the distinctive "crack" created by supersonic rounds, and when used in conjunction with a sound suppressor, the muzzle report is also reduced. Due to the greatly decreased muzzle velocity, the SB193 benefits from a slightly reduced recoil force of 1.3 kgm/sKilogram-forceA kilogram-force , or kilopond , is a gravitational metric unit of force. It is equal to the magnitude of the force exerted by one kilogram of mass in a gravitational field...
. The SB193 can be identified by its white tip color. Its sale is currently restricted by FN to military and law enforcement customers.
T194 training
- The T194 training round was discontinued in 2002. It could be considered an early version of the SS192 or SS195. It used the same 1.8-g (28 grain) copperCopperCopper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
-jacketed aluminum core bullet, propelled at the same muzzle velocity. It had a green painted tip.
- The SS195LF is a commercially available cartridge that features a leadLeadLead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
-free primer and produces ballistics similar to the SS192 round, which it replaced in late 2004. It uses the same 1.8-g (28 grain) copperCopperCopper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
-jacketed aluminum core bullet as the SS192, and it can be identified by the unmarked, hollow void at the tip and the silver-colored primer. The SS195 is classified by the ATF as not armor-piercing, and it is currently manufactured by FN Herstal in Belgium.
SS196SR (sporting round)
- The SS196SR was introduced in 2005 and it is now discontinued in favor of the SS197SR cartridge. It featured a lead core 2.6-g (40 grain) HornadyHornadyHornady Manufacturing Company is an American manufacturer of ammunition and handloading components, based in Grand Island, Nebraska.The company was founded by Joyce Hornady in 1949 and is currently run by his son Steve Hornady who took over after his father's death in a plane crash in 1981.Hornady...
V-Max bullet which it propelled at a muzzle velocityMuzzle velocityMuzzle velocity is the speed a projectile has at the moment it leaves the muzzle of the gun. Muzzle velocities range from approximately to in black powder muskets , to more than in modern rifles with high-performance cartridges such as the .220 Swift and .204 Ruger, all the way to for tank guns...
of roughly 500 m/s (1,650 ft/s) when fired from the Five-seven. The polycarbonate tip used in the V-Max bulletBulletA bullet is a projectile propelled by a firearm, sling, or air gun. Bullets do not normally contain explosives, but damage the intended target by impact and penetration...
acts as a wedge, enhancing expansion of the bullet. The SS196 was classified by the ATF as not armor-piercing, and in testing by FNH USA it did not penetrate a Level II vest when fired from the Five-seven. The SS196 can be identified by its red polymer tip.
SS197SR (sporting round)
- The SS197SR is currently offered to civilian shooters in addition to the SS195LF. It uses the same lead core 2.6-g (40 grain) Hornady V-Max projectile as the SS196SR, but it is loaded for a muzzle velocityMuzzle velocityMuzzle velocity is the speed a projectile has at the moment it leaves the muzzle of the gun. Muzzle velocities range from approximately to in black powder muskets , to more than in modern rifles with high-performance cartridges such as the .220 Swift and .204 Ruger, all the way to for tank guns...
roughly 30-m/s (100 ft/s) higher. The projectile has a blue-colored polymer tip instead of the red color used in the SS196 projectile tip. The SS197 is currently manufactured by FiocchiFiocchi MunizioniFiocchi Munizioni is one of Italy's largest and oldest manufacturers of ammunitions.The Company's headquarters and main production plant are in Via Santa Barbara in Lecco, Italy.-History:...
under contract for FN Herstal and it is distributed in the United States by Federal Cartridge CompanyFederal CartridgeFederal Cartridge is a wholly owned subsidiary of Alliant Techsystems, located in Edina, Minnesota. With a work force of nearly 1,000 in Anoka, Minnesota, Federal manufactures a complete line of shotshell, centerfire, and rimfire ammunition and components....
.
SS198LF (lead free)
- The SS198LF uses the same lead-free projectile and primer as the SS195LF, but propels it at roughly 30-m/s (100 ft/s) higher muzzle velocityMuzzle velocityMuzzle velocity is the speed a projectile has at the moment it leaves the muzzle of the gun. Muzzle velocities range from approximately to in black powder muskets , to more than in modern rifles with high-performance cartridges such as the .220 Swift and .204 Ruger, all the way to for tank guns...
. It has a green painted tip, and its sale is currently restricted by FN to military and law enforcement customers.
Non-FN ammunition
- Elite Ammunition manufactures a wide variety of 5.7×28mm ammunition offerings designed for high performance. Belgian ammunition manufacturer VBR-Belgium has also developed specialized 5.7×28mm projectiles designed for armor penetration and controlled fragmentation.
- HandloadingHandloadingHandloading or reloading is the process of loading firearm cartridges or shotgun shells by assembling the individual components , rather than purchasing completely assembled, factory-loaded cartridges...
is possible with 5.7×28mm ammunition, and 5.7-mm (.224 in) bullets are widely available due to use in .223 Remington.223 RemingtonThe .223 Remington is a sporting cartridge with almost the same external dimensions as the 5.56×45mm NATO military cartridge. The name is commonly pronounced either two-two-three or two-twenty-three. It is loaded with a diameter, jacketed bullet, with weights ranging from , though the most common...
and 5.56×45mm NATO cartridges. Handloaders have noted that the 5.7×28mm cartridge is very sensitive. Bullets weighing 2.6 g (40 grains) or less are recommended for optimal use in 5.7×28mm applications, but the 1:231 mm (1:9.1 in) rifling twist rate (distance the bullet must travel to complete one full revolution) used in the firearms' barrels will stabilize bullets weighing up to 4.5 g (70 grains).
Specifications
| SS190 | L191 | SS192 | SB193 | T194 | SS195LF | SS196SR | SS197SR | SS198LF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Projectile weight | 2.0 g Gram The gram is a metric system unit of mass.... (31 gr) |
2.0 g (31 gr) | 1.8 g (28 gr) | 3.6 g (55 gr) | 1.8 g (28 gr) | 1.8 g (28 gr) | 2.6 g (40 gr) | 2.6 g (40 gr) | 1.8 g (28 gr) |
| Muzzle velocity Muzzle velocity Muzzle velocity is the speed a projectile has at the moment it leaves the muzzle of the gun. Muzzle velocities range from approximately to in black powder muskets , to more than in modern rifles with high-performance cartridges such as the .220 Swift and .204 Ruger, all the way to for tank guns... (P90) |
716 m/s (2,350 ft/s) | 716 m/s (2,350 ft/s) | 716 m/s (2,350 ft/s) | 305 m/s (1,000 ft/s) | 716 m/s (2,350 ft/s) | 716 m/s (2,350 ft/s) | 549 m/s (1,800 ft/s) | 594 m/s (1,950 ft/s) | — |
| Muzzle energy Muzzle energy Muzzle energy is the kinetic energy of a bullet as it is expelled from the muzzle of a firearm. It is often used as a rough indication of the destructive potential of a given firearm or load... (P90) |
534 J (394 ft-lb) | 534 J (394 ft-lb) | 467 J (343 ft-lb) | 163 J (120 ft-lb) | 467 J (343 ft-lb) | 467 J (343 ft-lb) | 393 J (290 ft-lb) | 461 J (340 ft-lb) | — |
| Projectile type | FMJ Full metal jacket bullet A full metal jacket is a bullet consisting of a soft core encased in a shell of harder metal, such as gilding metal, cupronickel or less commonly a steel alloy. This shell can extend around all of the bullet, or often just the front and sides with the rear left as exposed lead... "AP" |
FMJ Tracer Tracer ammunition Tracer ammunition are bullets that are built with a small pyrotechnic charge in their base. Ignited by the burning powder, the phosphorus tail burns very brightly, making the projectile visible to the naked eye... |
JHP | FMJBT | JHP | JHP | V-Max | V-Max | JHP |
| Effective range | 200 m (219 yd) | 200 m (219 yd) | 200 m (219 yd) | 50 m (55 yd) | 200 m (219 yd) | 200 m (219 yd) | 150 m (164 yd) | 150 m (164 yd) | 200 m (219 yd) |
| Color code | Plain, black or white/black | Red or red/black | Plain JHP | White | Green | Plain JHP | Red V-Max | Blue V-Max | Green |
| Availability | Restricted by FN | Restricted by FN | Commercial (discontinued) | Restricted by FN | Restricted by FN (discontinued) | Commercial | Commercial (discontinued) | Commercial | Restricted by FN |
Fired from the longer 40.74-cm (16.04 in) barrel of the PS90, the muzzle velocity of SS195LF is roughly 60-m/s (200 ft/s) faster, and the muzzle velocity of SS197SR is roughly 45-m/s (150 ft/s) faster. Fired from the shorter 12.2-cm (4.8 in) barrel of the Five-seven pistol, the muzzle velocity of SS195LF is roughly 90-m/s (300 ft/s) slower, and the muzzle velocity of SS197SR is roughly 60-m/s (200 ft/s) slower.
Controversy
The Five-sevenFive-seveN
The FN Five-seven, trademarked as the Five-seveN, is a semi-automatic pistol designed and manufactured by FN Herstal in Belgium. The pistol is named for its 5.7-mm bullet diameter, and the trademark capitalization style is intended to emphasize the manufacturer's initials—FN.The Five-seven pistol...
pistol and 5.7×28mm ammunition were originally restricted by FN to military and law enforcement customers, but in 2004 the new Five-seven IOM variant was introduced, and offered to civilian shooters for use with SS192 ammunition. FNH USA has marketed the Five-seven to civilian shooters as a pistol suitable for personal protection
Self-defense
Self-defense, self-defence or private defense is a countermeasure that involves defending oneself, one's property or the well-being of another from physical harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of force in times of danger is available in many...
, target shooting, and similar uses, but the Five-seven's introduction to civilian shooters was strongly opposed by U.S. gun control
Gun control
Gun control is any law, policy, practice, or proposal designed to restrict or limit the possession, production, importation, shipment, sale, and/or use of guns or other firearms by private citizens...
organizations such as the Brady Campaign
Brady Campaign
The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence are affiliated non-profit organizations in the United States. They are named after James Brady who was permanently disabled as a result of an assassination attempt on U.S. President Ronald Reagan in 1981...
; by the end of 2004, sales of the Five-seven pistol had increased dramatically.
In early 2005, the pistol was subject to intense controversy in the United States after the Brady Campaign stated that commercially available SS192 ammunition penetrated a Level IIA Kevlar vest in testing. The National Rifle Association
National Rifle Association
The National Rifle Association of America is an American non-profit 501 civil rights organization which advocates for the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection...
(NRA) shortly countered the Brady Campaign's claim by pointing out that the gun control group may not have adhered to standard testing procedures, and that FN only offers armor-piercing varieties of the 5.7×28mm cartridge to military and law enforcement customers. Varieties offered to civilians are classified by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is a federal law enforcement organization within the United States Department of Justice...
(ATF) as not armor-piercing, and it was stated that the SS192 and SS196 cartridge variations were unable to penetrate various types of Kevlar vests in tests conducted by FNH USA.
Michael D. Barnes
Michael D. Barnes
Michael Darr Barnes represented the eighth district of Maryland in the United States House of Representatives from 1979 to 1987 and was the president of the Brady Campaign gun control organization from 2000 through 2006.After serving in the Marine Corps , being discharged with the rank of...
, then-president of the Brady Campaign, responded to the NRA's statements on the Five-seven by challenging NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre
Wayne LaPierre
Wayne LaPierre , is an American author and Second Amendment advocate. He is best known for his position as the Executive Vice President of the National Rifle Association.-Background:...
to be shot with the pistol while wearing a Kevlar vest. The NRA again attacked the Brady Campaign's statements, saying that "Barnes demonstrated his group's complete and utter disregard for gun safety and its flaming zeal to further restrict the rights of law-abiding gun owners." In the same year, two pieces of legislation were introduced in the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
, specifically targeting the Five-seven pistol and 5.7×28mm ammunition for a federal ban: the H.R. 1136: PLEA Act was introduced in the House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
by Rep. Eliot Engel, and the S. 527: PLEA Act was introduced in the Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
by Sen. Frank Lautenberg
Frank Lautenberg
Frank Raleigh Lautenberg is the senior United States Senator from New Jersey and a member of the Democratic Party. Previously, he was the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Automatic Data Processing, Inc.-Early life, career, and family:...
; neither bill proceeded to a vote by the House or Senate.
In March 2007, legislation was again introduced in the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
by Rep. Engel, under the new designation H.R. 1784: PLEA Act. Once again, the bill failed to proceed to a vote. In the following years, the Five-seven was subject to further controversy due to reports of the pistol's use by drug cartel
Drug cartel
Drug cartels are criminal organizations developed with the primary purpose of promoting and controlling drug trafficking operations. They range from loosely managed agreements among various drug traffickers to formalized commercial enterprises. The term was applied when the largest trafficking...
s in the Mexican Drug War
Mexican Drug War
The Mexican Drug War is an ongoing armed conflict taking place among rival drug cartels who fight each other for regional control, and Mexican government forces who seek to combat drug trafficking. However, the government's principal goal has been to put down the drug-related violence that was...
. In the United States, the Five-seven has never been used to kill a police officer, but various news sources such as The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
and La Jornada
La Jornada
La Jornada is one of Mexico City's leading daily newspapers. It was established in 1984 by Carlos Payán Velver. The current editor is Carmen Lira Saade...
reported incidents in which the pistol was used to shoot and kill police officers or civilians in Mexico. According to the ATF
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is a federal law enforcement organization within the United States Department of Justice...
, the Five-seven is one of the weapons favored by drug cartels in the Mexican Drug War, and smuggled Five-seven pistols can sell for up to $5,000 in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. From Mexico, the pistols have been smuggled into other South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
n countries; in a July 2010 drive-by shooting
Drive-by shooting
A drive-by shooting is a form of hit-and-run tactic, a personal attack carried out by an individual or individuals from a moving or momentarily stopped vehicle without use of headlights to avoid being noticed. It often results in bystanders being shot instead of, or as well as, the intended target...
in Envigado
Envigado
Envigado is a city of Colombia in the department of Antioquia, located at the south of the Aburrá Valley and belonging to the Metropolitan Area of Medellín. It has limits at its north with El Poblado, Medellín; at its south with Sabaneta; at its east with El Retiro and Caldas and at west with Itagüí...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, two cartel gunmen armed with Five-seven pistols opened fire on a group of bystanders outside a nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
, leaving 9 people dead and 10 wounded.
In November 2009, the Five-seven again became subject to intense controversy in the United States, following the Fort Hood shooting
Fort Hood shooting
The Fort Hood shooting was a mass shooting that took place on November 5, 2009, at Fort Hood, the most populous U.S. military installation in the world, located just outside Killeen, Texas. In the course of the shooting, a single gunman killed 13 people and wounded 29 others...
at Fort Hood military base
Military base
A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by or for the military or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and operations. In general, a military base provides accommodations for one or more units, but it may also be used as a...
, in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. A U.S. Army psychiatrist, Major Nidal Malik Hasan
Nidal Malik Hasan
Nidal Malik Hasan, USA is a United States Army officer and sole suspect in the November 5, 2009, Fort Hood shooting, which occurred less than a month before he would have deployed to Afghanistan....
, reportedly opened fire on fellow soldiers with a Five-seven pistol, killing 13 and wounding 29 in the worst shooting ever to take place on an American military base. Shortly after the shooting, FNH USA responded with a fact sheet dismissing allegations about the nature of the pistol, pointing out that it is only offered to civilians with sporting ammunition. Later in the month, a number of gun control organizations such as the Brady Campaign wrote a collaborative letter to U.S. President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, citing the weapon's reported use by the Fort Hood shooter and Mexican drug cartels, and calling on him to ban importation of the Five-seven pistol and 5.7×28mm ammunition. In July 2010, legislation was introduced in the United States Congress by Rep. Engel, for a third time, under the new designation H.R. 6030: PLEA Act. Like its previous incarnations, the H.R. 6030 bill failed to proceed to a vote by either the House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
or Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
.
See also
- 5 mm caliber5 mm caliberThis article lists firearm cartridges which have a bullet in the to caliber range.*Length refers to the cartridge case length.*OAL refers to the overall length of the cartridge.All measurements are in mm .-Rimfire cartridges:...
- List of cartridges by caliber
- List of handgun cartridges / rifle cartridges
Cartridges
- .22 Hornet.22 HornetThe .22 Hornet is a low-end vermin, small-game and predator centerfire rifle cartridge. It is considerably more powerful than the .22 WMR and the .17 HMR, achieving higher velocity with a bullet twice the weight. The Hornet also differs very significantly from these in that it is not a rimfire...
- 4.38×30mm Libra4.38×30mm LibraThe 4.38×30mm Libra is a personal defence weapon round manufactured by ČZW....
- 4.6×30mm
- 5.56×30mm MINSAS
- 5.7mm MMJ.22 SpitfireThe .22 Spitfire is an American rifle cartridge.Designed by Melvin M. Johnson of Johnson Guns Inc. for their conversion of the M1 carbine, this wildcat was introduced in 1963...
- 5.8×21mm5.8x21mmThe 5.8×21mm cartridge is a Chinese armor-piercing firearm cartridge.The cartridge was designed for replacements of 7.62×25mm Tokarev–chambered small arms for the People's Liberation Army that would offer a wound as large as a standard 9×19mm Parabellum round. This round is offered in both a...
- 7.62×25mm
- 7.92×24mm7.92x24mmThe 7.92×24 mm cartridge is a pistol cartridge designed in Belgium by Rik Van Bruaene of VBR-Belgium.The design objective was the development of a cartridge for use in Personal Defence Weapons , and for use in pistols, submachine guns and carbines...
Firearms
- AR-57AR-57The AR-57, also known as the AR Five-seven, is an upper receiver for the AR-15/M16 rifle lower receiver, firing 5.7x28mm rounds from standard FN P90 magazines. It was designed by Rhineland Arms, Inc and is currently produced by AeroPrecision, Inc of Tacoma, Washington, USA...
- FN Five-seven
- FN P90FN P90The FN P90 is a selective fire personal defense weapon designed and manufactured by FN Herstal in Belgium. The P90's name is taken from 1990, the year it was introduced...
/ PS90 - ST Kinetics CPWST Kinetics CPWThe CPW is a multi-caliber submachine gun developed by ST Kinetics of Singapore as a PDW-class firearm. The prototype is chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum but the manufacturer assures that the weapon's modular design allows for a simple caliber conversion to either 5.7x28mm or 4.6x30mm.-Design...
- VBR-CQBWVBR-Belgium CQBWThe CQBW is a semi automatic pistol manufactured by VBR-Belgium. It is chambered for the 7.92x24mm round but can also be converted to fire 4.6x30mm or 5.7x28mm rounds.-References:* * -See also:* 7.92x24mm* FN Five-seven* Heckler & Koch UCP* QSZ-92...
External links
- The 5.7×28 FN — Guns & Ammo
- Hot off the Press 5.7×28mm — Shooting Times
- FNH 5.7×28mm Dynamic Duo — Tactical Life
- Military Ammo Today — G&A Handguns
- 5.7×28mm Tests in Ballistic Gelatin — Brassfetcher
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